What We Learn from the Bhagavad Gita

Every one of the 700 verses in the Gita has a metaphorical meaning and lesson. Unlike most scriptures, these lessons from Gita are not merely about moral lessons and codes of conduct, but also with practical value in our work and life performance. To be practical, let’s look at some lessons that in my experience have added the most value.

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Fear of Death

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Fear of death is perhaps the greatest of all fears we have. It arises from not knowing what happens. No one came back after dying, for the most part, to tell us. The few we believe did return we revere. Yet, we still fear death. This fear holds us back from our potential. We are afraid of taking risks.

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In these verses from chapter 2, Krishna tells us what death is. It’s a transition. It’s like doffing old garments and donning new ones. Life and death are cycles as infinite gateways until we choose to end them. This understanding has helped me and many others look at dying differently, without fear.

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2.12 There was no time when I did not exist, nor you, nor all these kings; nor in the future shall any of us cease to be.

2.17 The energy that pervades the body is indestructible. No one can destroy the imperishable soul.

2.18 The body matter perishes; the energy within is eternal, indestructible and immeasurable.

2.20 The energy is neither created, nor does it ever die; nor having existed, does it cease to be. The energy is without birth, eternal, immortal, and ageless. It is not destroyed when the body is destroyed.

2.22 As one sheds used garments and wears new ones, at the time of death, the energy doffs its used body and dons a new one.

2.23 Weapons cannot cleave the energy, nor fire burn it. Water cannot wet it, nor the wind dry it.

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When we understand our energy nature, which never perishes, there is a new understanding of how we can live our life with maximum value to others and us. ?This understanding needs to be anchored reflective meditation to work.

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Detach from Expectations

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Krishna says that action is a human attribute. You must do in order to be. There is no state of ‘being’ without ‘doing’. ‘Nirvikalpa’ state is doing without ‘vikalpa’ thoughts of I and mine. Act as you ought to, but don’t obsess about the outcome. Believe in what you do. Enjoy what you do. Whatever results will be enjoyable. As the noble Buddha said it’s attachment to outcomes that causes suffering. Detach. It’s good once in a while to remind ourselves that we don’t even control our next breath. When it decides to stop even ventilators don’t help. Our locus of control is very limited.

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2.47 You must perform your duties. You have no right to the outcome of your actions. You are not the cause of the outcome of your actions. Don’t be attached to inaction or outcomes of action.

2.48 Focus on what you must do. Do not be attached to success and failure.

3.5 We cannot stay still without action even for a moment. We are compelled to act by our natural attributes, guna

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This concept is now used in management as the Six Sigma and Agile approaches in which intermediary journey goals must be achieved to reach the final objective. Focus on the journey, not the destination. I follow the dictum, ‘envision for inspiration, do not micromanage.’

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Situational Awareness

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In several verses in Chapter 2, Krishna uses the word stithapragnya. My simple translation for this word, which has a far deeper connotation, is steady situational awareness. This state first requires objectivity. One then detaches from that objectivity as well. Such a state leads to equanimity.

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One who is able to withdraw the senses from their objects, just as a tortoise withdraws its limbs into its shell, is established in divine wisdom.

They are established in perfect knowledge, who subdue their senses and keep their minds ever absorbed in Me.

While contemplating on the objects of the senses, one develops attachment to them. Attachment leads to desire, and from desire arises anger.

Anger leads to clouding of judgment, which results in bewilderment of memory. When memory is bewildered, the intellect gets destroyed; and when the intellect is destroyed, one is ruined.

But one who controls the mind, and is free from attachment and aversion, even while using the objects of the senses, attains the Grace of God.

Sages like Ramana were in stithapragnya. Ramana removed the pain from cancer he was experiencing and then detached from it saying ‘This body is not mine, how can the pain be mine?’

Ramana’s state is difficult to achieve for you and I. We can control our emotional cycles. Think ‘What is the worst that can happen?’, ‘if this too happens or doesn’t happen, what does not change?’

Nothing really changes, in the longer term, except the death of our material casing as it moves to energy.

Good and Evil

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What is good and what’s evil? They are both in us. It’s a judgmental choice we make. Nature kills. Nature nurtures as well. Is Nature good or evil? Question your intent. You will know.

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Verses 16.1-3 Be fearless, pure of mind, steadfast in spiritual knowledge, charity, controlling the senses, non-violent, truthful, never angry, renouncing expectations of the outcome, compassion toward all living beings, not covetous, and bearing enmity toward none. You will be divine.

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Verses 16.13-15 If you think, ‘This is mine, and tomorrow I shall have even more. That enemy has been destroyed by me, and I shall destroy the others too! I am God, I am the enjoyer, I am perfect, I am powerful, and I am happy. I am wealthy and I have highly placed relatives. Who else is equal to me? I shall perform sacrifices; I shall give alms; I shall rejoice in the glory.’, you will be a demon controlled by greed, anger and lust.

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Anger, lust and greed are the worst expressions of ego. When renounced our expressions become selfless and good. When we surrender of our ego to merge with the collective consciousness, we lose all negativity. The fragment becomes one with the hologram.

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Reflection

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Meditate on each verse as you read and reflect. Witness the shift in your energy. The supreme energy of Krishna does not need our worship. He seeks the surrender of our ego. This surrender is not to him, but to oneself, our energy Self. When we accept our divine energy nature, tears flow in gratitude. Each time I meditate on Krishna, whether in thoughts, words or music, however much I may pretend I don’t care for the form, his image fills me. I dissolve in tears.

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The Bhagavad Gita is the message for today. If you liked what you read, share with another 20 or 30, and request them to share. We may open closed minds, hearts and will.

Ram is a co-founder and mentor at Coacharya.? Ram's focus is the integration of Eastern wisdom with modern science, spiritually, systemically and sustainably. Visit Coacharya.

https://coacharya.com.